So, it's been awhile since I've been here.
I woke up to a call from my mom on Sunday asking if the news was true. As I'm on this call, ESPN is on my TV and they're still getting ready for the Pro Bowl so I'm like "Mom, no, don't believe everything on the internet, kthxbye".
10 minutes later I wish I was right.
Kobe's passing I think showed me why we grieve the way we do when public figures die. It's not because we care about them more than other people (at least that's what I think), but moreso the deaths you feel the hardest are the ones of people who's character and values line up with how you live. As crazy as it is, they're idols at the end of the day. In the case of Kobe, he wasn't my ultimate role model or inspiration, but he was an example to look upon on what it meant to be a professional, to demand excellence out of yourself and others, to do everything you can in order to succeed. That's what Kobe Bean Bryant taught me, even though I never met the man a day in his life.
We're going on two days later, and it's still hard to sum up in words. I still catch myself tearing up every now and then for all 9 lives that were lost in the crash, because everyone on that helicopter were just going to go support those girls play basketball.
RIP Mamba. RIP Mambacita. RIP to John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli. RIP Chirstina Mauser. RIP Sarah and Payton Chester. RIP Ara Zobayan.